The Man Who Was His Father
by a.k.a.-ashley
Summary: AU Lucas must deal with the death of a man he hardly knows, his father. PL
1. No rest for the weary

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the One Tree Hill characters, because if I did I certainly wouldn't put Lucas and Brooke together.

Please Read & Review

Chapter 1

He was barely asleep when he heard the phone ringing from somewhere outside their bedroom. A glance over at the alarm clock on the nightstand told him it was nearly midnight. The cordless telephone was noticeably absent from the cradle, so he pulled himself out of bed and made his way through the dark house trying to get to the phone before the ringing woke his sleeping wife. 'Who the hell was calling so late' he mumbled to himself, scratching the top of his head.

            "Hello" he answered, sleep evident in his voice.

            "Lucas its mom, I'm sorry to call you so late. I hope I didn't wake you or Peyton" Karen's voice was strained she sounded upset.

            "What's going on mom, is everything ok?"

            "It's just…I – I have some bad news Luke"

Rolling over in bed she found the spot next to her empty. Peyton sat up and tucked the strand of curly blond hair behind her ear. Calling out for her husband, she didn't hear an answer. Swinging her legs over the edge of their bed; she paused to rub the sleep from her eyes before wandering down the hall towards the kitchen.

She barely noticed him sitting on the couch in the dark living room. The television was on, the changing scenes reflected different patterns sporadically onto the walls of the living room. It was obvious to Peyton that Lucas had no interest in the sports program that he was tuned into. She crossed the dark room and sat next to him on the couch, and he barely looked up to acknowledge her presence. 

"Hey" she said propping her elbow up on the back of the couch, and running her fingers through his short hair. "What's the matter Lucas, I missed you in bed."

"I'm sorry," he said placing a hand on her knee. "I just…I got a phone call."

"When, tonight while I was sleeping?" Peyton asked bringing her feet up on the couch and tucking them underneath her.

"Yeah" he was being short with her, and it wasn't going unnoticed.

"What's the matter Lucas, I need you to tell me what's going on." She was concerned with the fact that her husband wasn't being himself.

"My mom just called, there's something wrong with my fath-" he paused and shook his head "there's something wrong with Dan Scott."

"Well what's wrong with him, is he sick?" Peyton asked.

"He's not sick, he's dying" Lucas' face remained emotionless.

"What does he have?" she asked softly, but a look of shock came over her face.

"Some type of brain cancer, he doesn't have more than a few weeks. He collapsed today at his house, they took him to the hospital but they don't expect him to leave there alive. My mom just heard the news, and she thought I should know" He sighed and turned to face her. She reached over and grabbed his hand in hers; it was her way of showing him silent support. They remained quiet for a few minutes before Peyton broke the silence.

            "Are you ok Lucas? I mean…"

            "Yeah I'm fine. I'm not the one dying" He pushed himself up off the couch, and clicked off the television. He stood in the darkness of the living room. The soft yellow glow of the hallway light dimly lit the living room. Peyton watched as Lucas ran his hands over his face.

            "Lucas he's your father, it's ok to be upset over this" she stood from the couch and walked up behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her chin on his strong shoulder, and whispered reassurances in his ear. He remained silent but held tight to her arms.

            "She thinks it would be good if I saw him, before he…" he grew silent. He resented the fact that he could feel any emotion for the man who had abandoned him and his mother.

            "Hey" she said pulling his body to face hers "You're tired, let's go to bed. Give yourself some time to adjust and we can figure this out in the morning"

            "Thanks for the 'we'" he said wrapping his arms around her in a firm embrace; burying his face into her neck and breathing in the sweet smell of his wife. Her hands stroked the back of his neck, and he nearly melted under her touch.

            "I love you Peyton"

            "I love you too." Pulling back from him, she held his face and kissed him on the forehead. His eyes closed at her gentle touch, and then she kissed him once softly on the lips.

            "Lets go to bed" Peyton grabbed his strong hand in hers and kissed him lightly on the fingers before leading him down the hallway towards their bedroom.

            The pair lay in their bed, their bodies intertwined under the soft navy blue sheets. Her arm draped across his chest, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders allowing him to hold her close.

            "Are you ok, Lucas?" she asked him, while tracing small circles lightly on his chest with her finger.

            "I don't know," he sighed, "I don't know how to feel."

            "It's ok Lucas, this whole situation with your father is complicated." 

            "But he's my father Peyton, I should at least feel something towards him. But I don't, at least not right now"

            "I think we should go see your mom, go back to Tree Hill," she cut Lucas off before he could protest "I'm not saying you have to see him, but I think it would be good to see your mom and to talk to her"

            "No you're right, I feel like I should be with my mom and my wife right now. I'll call her in the morning and let her know we're coming for the week, if that's ok with you?" he reached up and ran his fingers over her blond curls he loved so much.

            "Spending a week with your mom sounds like a good idea, plus going back to Tree Hill is always interesting we can catch up on the town gossip" she smiled to herself, and he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

            "Thank you" he said.

            "For what?" she asked.

            "For being so supportive, for being there for me, for being my wife."

            "Lucas I love you, and you know that I will always support you just like you do for me. Now let's go to bed, and we'll call your mom in the morning" she said reaching over him to turn out the light on the their nightstand. She stopped, before settling back down beside him, to kiss him on the lips.

            "I love you"

            "I love you too"

It didn't take long for Peyton to succumb to the temptation of sleep, her breathing becoming steadier against her husband's chest. But sleep didn't come easily for Lucas. He lay in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling unable to shake the thoughts of his father dying in a hospital bed. He couldn't stop thinking of the man who was his father, but who he considered a stranger.

Ok that's it for this chapter. Please read and review, and let me know if you're interested in more chapters.


	2. The boy and his father

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters 

This chapter is dedicated to all of you who left those great reviews for my first chapter, I hope you guys like it.

Chapter 2 

**            "**Mom?" Lucas called out as he walked through the front door of the home he had grown up in. "Keith? Is anybody here?" There was no answer from inside the house.

            "I thought your mom said she was going to be here when we got here." Peyton said setting her bag down next to the coat rack near the door. 

"I guess they must be running errands or something" Lucas shrugged his shoulders, and walked over to the couch sprawling his tired body over the cushions. Peyton occupied the recliner next to the couch.

"So what do you want to do now, should we unload the car?" Peyton asked him from the comfort of her reclined position.

"Now when you say 'we' should unload the car, do you mean 'I' should unload the car?" he grumbled from the couch.

"Hey now I told you my back is really bothering me today" Peyton said, making sure Lucas saw her rubbing the sore spot on her back. She smiled at him with a self-assured grin plastered across her face, and twirled a strand of her blond hair around her finger.

"You know I can't resist you when you do that hair twirling thing" He laughed pulling himself from the couch and walking towards the door. He stopped to lean over her and kiss her softly on the forehead. "I'll be right back with you bags ma'am"

Lucas returned from the car a few minutes later with bags in hand. He headed back to his old bedroom to drop the luggage, when his cell phone rang from his back pocket.

"Peyton" he called out from over his shoulder. "Can you grab that for me?"

"I got it" she jumped up from her spot on the recliner and grabbed the ringing phone from her husband's pocket.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hi sweetheart" Karen's voice brought a smile to Peyton's face.

"Hi Mrs. S, how are you guys?"

"We're good" Karen said referring also to her husband. "I was just calling to see whether you two were at the house already. Keith and I were just doing a little grocery shopping for the week and then we'll be home."

"Well we just got here a few minutes ago, so we'll just see you when you guys get back."

"Ok we'll see you soon." Karen clicked off the other line, and Peyton folded her husbands phone closed. Lucas came out from his old bedroom and rubbed his hands together in satisfaction as he walked towards Peyton.

"Your bags are unpacked princess Peyton" he smiled to himself as he leaned over and bowed before her.

"Hey" she laughed, hitting him gently in the arm.

"Who was that on the phone, my mom?"

"Yeah, her and Keith are doing some grocery shopping, and then they'll be back in a little while"

"Well then while they're gone would my beautiful wife like to accompany me on a walk. I need some fresh air" he said extending his hand out towards her.

"Yeah a walk sounds really good right now." She grabbed his hand as he led her out the front door.

They walked arm in arm down his old street. The cool autumn blowing across Peyton as she tried to snuggle deeper into her warm coat.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

"No I'm fine, besides I've got this hot stud next to me to keep me warm." She looked over at him and smiled.

"Well I don't mean to brag…" his voice trailed off. Lucas pulled his wife closer and wrapped an arm around his waist.

Their walk ended up taking them to one of Lucas' favorite spots in Tree Hill. It was the basketball court where he had spent almost every night growing up, playing basketball until the park lights would turn off.

"This brings back some memories huh?" he said motioning towards the court. During their final summer in Tree Hill before they left for college, Lucas would drag Peyton to the court almost every night where he would shoot around by himself for hours. She would offer up a few cheers every so often, from her spot on the sideline. And every once in a great while Peyton would join him for a game of one on one which usually ended up turning into an excuse for her to grab Lucas' but while they played.

"Yeah I always loved watching you play. You were so intense" Peyton smiled at him

"Come on let's go sit." He grabbed her hand and they walked towards the old wooden bleachers. Climbing up a few rows, they found a spot and sat down. Their attention was soon drawn towards a young boy around the age of four and his father playing basketball on the otherwise empty court. They watched as the man lifted the young boy from the ground and brought him up high above his shoulders towards the rim, so the boy could throw the ball through the hoop. 

"Again dad, again!" the little boy yelled as his father placed him back down on the ground, and ran off to chase down he runaway ball. Lucas smiled to himself as he watched to boy play ball with his father. His grin was quick to fade when he realized that his own father had never given him the chance to experience any father-son memories. His father had never given him anything; all Lucas had ever really wanted was acknowledgement.

Peyton knew where his thoughts were as she looked over at her husband. His eyes were distant and hurting. 

"Are you ok Lucas?" she felt like she had been asking that same question a lot over the last few days. She still couldn't tell how her husband felt about the news of his fathers illness. 

"All I ever wanted from him was acceptance, for him to just once acknowledge me as his son. But he was too much of a cold-hearted bastard to ever give me that." He spoke softly, not letting his anger control how he spoke to his wife. He didn't want to hurt her; she wasn't the one he was angry at. "I hate the fact that I waited for that for so many years, I just…" he stopped talking and just shook his head.

"You can talk to me Lucas" she held his hand tightly in hers.

"No, I'm fine" he said standing up from the bench and turning to face her. "Are you ready to head back?"

"Lucas we can talk about this, you can talk to me," she told him; He grabbed her hands and pulled her up from the bench. Leaning in close to her, he kissed her softly on the lips.

"I know I can talk to you about this Peyton, but I just don't want to talk about my father right now. All I want to do is head back to the house, have a nice dinner with my family, then crawl into bed with my wife and sleep." He raised his eyebrows at her hoping she would just agree with him.

"We're going to have to talk about this eventually Lucas." She sighed, and allowed herself to be pulled gently away from the park by her husband.

"I know, and we will but just not now." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him, as they headed back in the direction they had come from.

_Well that's chapter two. Thanks to everyone who sent in their reviews, they helped to get me motivated to write this chapter.  Next chapter will involve Lucas and Peyton, and Keith and Karen. And then future chapters will involve a little Nathan and Haley, just because you guys asked for some. So please review, and let me know how you guys liked it._


	3. Of dinner, anxieties, and secrets

The Man Who Was His Father

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the One Tree Hill characters.

Thanks so much to all my reviewers, you guys really inspire me to write. And I apologize for taking this long to update, school is way too time consuming. I'm planning on a new chapter at least every three days, so updates will come sooner. 

Chapter Three:

            "Dinner was great mom" Lucas said pushing himself away from the table, his growling stomach calmed by a hot meal. After Karen and Keith had come home from grocery shopping the foursome had sat down to a homecooked meal, and caught up on the latest happenings in their lives. Peyton was noticeably quiet during dinner, which hadn't gone unnoticed during dinner.

            "Why don't you guys go relax in the living room and I'll get these dishes cleaned up real fast and join you." Karen stood from the table and grabbed hers and Keith's plate.

            "Let me help you with those Mrs. S." Peyton said, picking up her own plate from the table and placing it in the sink. Lucas and Keith quietly ducked out of the kitchen and headed towards the living room in hopes of catching the final minutes of the game on television.

            "Oh don't worry about that Peyton, go relax, I can handle these" she said motioning towards the pots and pans that were stacked in the sink.

            "I don't mind really, I was actually hoping we could talk without the boys around." She turned from the sink to face Karen.

            "Why don't we let these dishes soak, and we can sit and talk" Karen said, letting the hot water fill one side of the sink, before turning off the faucet. She pulled out a chair from the kitchen table for Peyton, and then occupied the seat next to her. Peyton found comfort in the fact that Karen was willing to make time for her.

            "Lucas is shutting you out too isn't he?" Karen asked gently.

            "How did you know?" Peyton asked shaking her head.

            "I knew something was bothering you, you were so quiet at dinner tonight. I just assumed it had something to do with Lucas."

            "He refuses to talk about Dan with me. I just want to know that he's ok, but I don't know how to be there for him when he pushes me away." Karen could tell from her voice that Peyton was hurting. She reached across the table to grab the younger woman's hand. Peyton acknowledged the gesture by giving Karen's hand a gentle squeeze.

            "He acted the same way with me when I tried to talk about Dan. I understand why he feels the way he does, Dan was never a father to him. I think he's confused with how he should feel." Karen rubbed at an absent spot on the table, trying not to seem overly worried about Lucas' behavior. She didn't want to further Peyton's own stress over the situation. The truth was that Karen was afraid of what was going on in Lucas' head, how he was handling things by himself. "He'll come around Peyton. Lucas isn't the type of man to keep things bottled up for too long. He needs you and he loves you, and you just have to silently support him for right now as hard as that may be."

            "Thank you Mrs. Scott." She said, sounding somewhat relieved after Karens gentle words towards her. But Karen could sense that there was something more on Peyton's mind. 

            "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about Peyton, you know you can tell me anything." Peyton just looked towards Karen with a nervous expression. She rose quickly from the table, crossing the small kitchen floor, and came to rest bracing her hands on either side of the sink.

            "Peyton is everything ok?" Karen asked, standing from her chair and coming to stand next to her daughter in law.

            "I just, I haven't told anyone yet. I was going to tell Lucas, but then this whole situation with Dan Scott happened and I don't know when the right time to tell him is anymore." Peytons words were nervous, and they came faster than usual.

            "What are you talking about sweetheart?" Karen gently prodded for more information. Peyton took a deep breath in before revealing her news.

            "I'm pregnant" she said gently. For the first time in nearly a week she felt relief at the fact that she could tell someone the one thing she was keeping from her husband. She searched Karen's face for any kind of reaction, and was happy to see her mother in law beaming from ear to ear.

            "Oh Peyton, I am so happy for you" Karen pulled Peyton into a warm embrace, and squeezed her softly. "Well I'm happy for Lucas too, of course."

            "Well I'm glad your happy, it feels good to finally be able to tell someone. I just didn't know when to tell Lucas, I mean he has all this stuff going on with his own father. I just…"

            "Sharing this with Lucas will make him so happy Peyton, and it might allow him to come to terms with Dan. Knowing he's going to be a father will change the way he looks at life in general." Karen still couldn't stop smiling at the news.

            "I think you're right, it would make him so happy. We had been talking about trying for a baby a few months ago, and now we're going to have one." Peyton smiled to herself. Shouts could be heard coming from the living room, and Lucas and Keith made their way into the kitchen.

            "The tarheels just won in overtime, it was great." Lucas said as he searched trough the fridge for something to drink. 

            "Well I think Keith and I are going to turn in for the night, and we'll leave you two kids to get settled" Karen rubbed Keith on the back, and he nodded in agreement. She walked over to Peyton and pulled her into one last hug and whispered in her ear "You're gonna do great sweetie."

            "Thank you for everything Mrs. Scott" Peyton whispered back. Stopping to hug Lucas goodnight, Karen and Keith made their way back to their bedroom. Peyton sat at the kitchen table near her husband.

            "I have something I want to tell you" she said looking at Lucas.

_Up next: Peyton tells Lucas her news, and they go and visit with Haley and Nathan. So hope you guys enjoyed the chapter it's a little shorter than the rest, but please leave your comments!_


	4. Dances at midnight

The Man Who Was His Father

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the One Tree Hill characters

_Thanks for all the reviews; you guys are great!_

Chapter 4 

Cool night air swirled around the pair as they sat across from each other on the porch. It was late, but Lucas could hardly sleep knowing his wife had some kind of news she wanted to share with him. He was getting impatient, and she noticed his fidgeting. 

"Before you say anything, or before I tell you anything I just want you to listen to this." Peyton handed Lucas a small digital voice recorder she pulled from the pocket of her red hoodie. He rolled the device around in his hands, and looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

            "What is this" he asked.

            "Just listen, and then I'll explain everything" She gave him a sly smile, and moved from her chair on the porch to sit in his lap. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and with his free hand pushed play on the recorder. Peyton took a deep breath and felt her pulse quicken, as Lucas brought the device closer to his ear. He heard nothing but silence and a bit of static.

            "I can't hear anything" he said, shaking the player around in his hand.

            "Just listen" she laughed, running her fingers through his short hair. He turned the small black dial on the side of the recorder, and the volume of the static increased slightly. He listened carefully until he finally heard _it_. A gentle _swoosh _came in a constant rhythm, and Lucas may not have been a doctor but he was pretty sure he knew what a heartbeat sounded like.

            "Is that-" He looked up quickly and met Peyton's eyes.

            "The doctor said the baby has a good strong heartbeat, I thought you might want to hear it." He was quiet again and looked down at his hands, the babies gentle heartbeat was the only noise to invade the silence. 

            "That is the most incredible sound I have ever heard." He looked up at her, and she smiled.

            "Are you happy?" Peyton asked, placing a hand on his cheek. The answer was obvious from the expression on his face.

            "I'm so happy  Peyt, nothing could make me happier right now. We're going to have a baby, that's incredible" He looked up at her with an enormous grin on his face. She leaned down to kiss him sweetly on the lips, and he pulled her closer.

            "So how long have you been keeping this little secret from me?" Lucas asked, cutting short her kiss.

            "I've known for a few weeks, according to my doctor I'm a little over a month along." She said while absentmindedly placing her hand on her stomach. He noticed the gesture and placed his hand over hers. 

"Our baby is in there." He said with a hint of amazement in his voice. In that moment it was only about them. Peyton, Lucas, and the baby made their own family, and nothing else seemed to matter. 

            "I love you so much" he kissed her, and placed a hand gently on her cheek.

            "I love you too." She was finding it hard to stop from smiling, everything seemed to be falling into place for them. She knew Lucas wanted nothing more than to be a great husband and father someday. And he was an incredible husband, she loved him more than even he knew. Peyton was sure he would be an incredible father.

            He leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers, and they stayed together in silence for what seemed like a lifetime. They were always comfortable just being together in silence, words sometimes seeming unnecessary. He placed his strong hands on either side of her soft face and kissed her softly on the tip of her nose before pulling her gently to her feet.

            "Dance with me." Lucas asked her, pulling her body towards his own.

            "We don't have any music." She said matter-of-factly.

            "Who needs music," he whispered in his ear. "When your husband has such a great voice."

            "You never sing Luke." She laughed softly.

            "Correction, I only sing on special occasions, and tonight definitely qualifies as special." He kissed her before bringing his face down to hers.

            He sang only for her, his lips held close to her ear, his voice just above a smooth whisper.

_It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear._

_She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair._

_And then she asks me, "Do I look alright?"_

_And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight"_

She smiled to herself as she recognized the song. To anyone else it was just some old Eric Clapton song, but to her it was something special. He'd sang that same song to her the night he proposed.

_We go to a party and everyone turns to see_

_This beautiful lady, that's walking around with me._

_And then she asks me, "Do you feel alright?"_

_And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight."_

Their feet shuffled across the wooden porch, their bodies swaying to his voice. She reached up and placed her hands on the nape of his neck, and ran her fingers along his hairline. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, and pulled her closer.

_I feel wonderful because I see_

_The love light in your eyes._

_And the wonder of it all_

_Is that you just don't realize how much I love you_.

He kissed her in between verses, and ran his hands through her hair. He loved the way she felt in his arms.

_It's time to go home know, and I've got an aching head_

_So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed._

_And I tell her, as I turn out the light,_

_I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight_

_Oh my darling, you look wonderful tonight."_

He finished his song with a kiss on her head, and his hand lay across her stomach. She pulled back to wipe away a single tear from her cheek, he laughed and rubbed at the same spot.

            "I really do love it when you sing" she said.

            "Whatever my wife wants, she'll get" he smiled at her.

            "Can I get that agreement in writing" she said trying to stifle a yawn.

            "Alright lets get you to bed, we have a busy day tomorrow. Nathan and Haley are expecting us to visit tomorrow" 

            "Fine, bed sounds really good right about now. Lead the way daddy" He grinned at her last word, and lead her back to his old bedroom.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

            "Ok do me a favor Luke, let's keep the baby news quiet for right now. I just don't feel right about springing it on people with everything that's happening with Dan." She waited for his acknowledgement before she rang the doorbell to Nathan and Haley's house.

            "That makes sense I guess, even though I don't think we should base our decisions on Dan Scott. But if that's what you want." He shrugged his shoulders.

            "That's what I want Luke, just for now. And then you can shout it from the roof tops if you want."

            "Don't tempt me Peyton, cause I would do it." He laughed. "Now ring the doorbell, I'm freezing" He rubbed at her arms, knowing she had to be cold as well. Peyton rang the doorbell, and waited for Haley to appear. She was at the door in a hurry, and Peyton couldn't help but laugh as Haley swung the door open wide, and greeted them with her trademark beam.

            "Hey guys!" Haley said coming out onto the porch to wrap her arms first around Peyton and then her oldest friend Lucas. She ushered them into her home and they dropped their coats onto the small table by the door. "Make yourselves comfortable, I'm going to find that reclusive boyfriend of mine". Peyton and Lucas made their way into the living room and sat on one of the couches. Haley went back into one of the bedrooms to get Nathan. She returned a few minutes later with Nathan in tow.

            "Hey Luke" he walked over to the couch, where Lucas stood to shake his hand. They had become better friends after he realized Nathan really did love Haley, and there was no sense in holding a grudge against him.

            "How you doing Nathan?" Lucas said shaking his hand firmly.

            "I'm good, I'm good thanks" Nathan gave Lucas a small pat on the shoulder and then made his way over to Peyton.

            "Hey Nathan" She said, giving him a hug.

            "You look great Peyton." He gave her a quick smile, and made his way over to where Haley was sitting. 

They sat around in the living room talking about anything for a few hours. Nathan took over Dan's business after his retirement, and Haley was part owner of Karen's Café. They had been living together for a few years, with no immediate plans of getting married. They were comfortable just taking things slow. Nathan stood after awhile and motioned towards Lucas.

            "Lucas, could I talk to you for a minute?" Luke nodded and got up to follow him towards the kitchen.

That's it for Chapter 4, hope you guys enjoyed it. Luke's song was Eric Clapton: Wonderful Tonight. I went old school on that one, but it's a good song. Next chapter will be Lucas and Nathan talking about their dad, and some other stuff. And then we're finally going to get to some Dan/Lucas interaction, which is probably going to get really deep, and will be really be interesting to write. So please let me know what you thought of the chapter, and thanks for reading!


	5. Beer, brothers, and beach houses

The Man Who Was His Father

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the One Tree Hill characters

Sorry this chapter took so long to post, I had a bad case of writers block that is hopefully gone for good. Plus I'm starting work on another OTH fic, that I'll hopefully have posted by the end of the month. Keep the reviews coming guys!!

Chapter 5:

            "He asked about you" Nathan said taking a drink from his half-empty beer bottle. Lucas was quiet; his gaze directed down at his own bottle. "He said he wanted to make amends."

            "Too little too late don't you think?" Lucas shook his head and laughed bitterly to himself.

            "Look I'm the last person to come to my dad's defense. I had to put up with his verbal abuse all of my life, he tore me down every chance he got. I grew up hating him. But I'm telling you, he's changed Luke." 

            "And now because he's sick, I'm supposed to forgive him for what he did to me, to my mom. And for what, so he can die with a clear conscience." The older Scott rubbed a hand across his face. His harsh tone was wrongly directed towards his younger brother, and he felt guilty. The past few weeks he'd been directing the anger and bitterness he felt for his father in all the wrong places. He softened his tone towards Nathan, and lowered his head. "I just don't think I can do it."

            "I don't want to pressure you into doing anything, it's your choice to see him Lucas. You have to do what's right for you man." Nathan said finishing off his beer and tossing the empty bottle into the trash.

            "Thanks Nathan." Luke smiled at his brother "You're getting pretty good at his brotherly advice thing you know."

            "Yeah? Well I got some more advice for you, if you want to hear it." The younger brother raised his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

            "Alright let's hear it." Lucas grinned, wondering what kind of advice Nathan could give him.

            "You look really stressed Luke, is everything ok?"

            "Yeah, everything is fine. I just, I've been shutting Peyton out a lot lately and I feel horrible about it. She's been so understanding and patient lately, and I thought that coming back here would be good for us. It just doesn't help matters that my father is dying in some hospital a few miles away." Lucas just shook his head, and looked up at Nathan. "God I sound like a whiny jerk."

            "No don't worry about it Luke, actually I might have just the thing for you and Peyton." Nathan left his chair and walked out of the kitchen through a large swinging door. He returned seconds later holding a keyring. He sat back down and slid the set of keys across the table towards Lucas.

            "What's this?" Lucas asked, picking up the keys.

            "Just think of it as your mini vacation" Nathan grinned "When I took over my dad's business, I got all his property as well. Haley and I are too damn busy to ever make it up to the beach house anymore, we'd be glad if you guys would use it."

            "Are you sure?" Lucas asked.

            "Yeah, use it please."

            "You're a good guy Nate." Lucas said, placing the keys in his pocket.

            "This is true" Nathan tossed his head back and laughed, Lucas just grinned and shook his head.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

      "Come on Peyton, there's something different about you." Haley gave her best friend the once over. "Did you cut your hair? No, wait, you got it colored?"

      "Haley," Peyton laughed. "There's nothing different about me, or my hair."

      "No we've been friends since we were 16 years old. So that's what, almost nine years of knowing everything about each other. So don't think you can sneak anything by me." Haley arched a single eyebrow in suspicion, but Peyton wasn't going to budge.

      "Hales, if I could tell you I would. Lucas and I agreed that it's best if we didn't tell anyone right now. Believe me you'll be the first, well second person, I tell." Peyton grinned knowing that the little teaser would drive her friend crazy.

      "Oh Peyton that is so not fair to leave me hanging like that!" Hayley tossed a pillow across the couch towards Peyton, and then just shrugged her shoulders and eased back into the couch. "But if you're not going to tell me right now, than I'll just have to be patient." Peyton just shook her head and laughed.

      "I wish you guys would move back to Tree Hill, I really miss you guys living five minutes from our house." Sticking out her lower lip in a mock pout Hayley looked over at her friend.

      "Honestly, I would love to move back here to Tree Hill. I actually wish we would have come back after we graduated from college, but it was hard for me." She leaned back into the couch, and tucked her knees into her chest. "After my dad died there just didn't seem to be a reason to stick around. Brooke never forgave me or Lucas for what we did to her, I had you of course and Lucas, but I thought I had to go and find myself. But when I left here to go to college in Chapel Hill, and Lucas moved his entire life there to follow me I knew that wherever Luke was, home was."

      "You guys overcame a lot of obstacles to be together, and you deserve all the happiness you have. Now give you best friend a hug" Hayley laughed as she leaned over and wrapped her friend in a warm embrace. "I love you guys"

      "I love you guys too." Peyton said wiping a stray tear from her eye. "You've always been there for us."

      "Well I hate to break up the girl-time, but Peyton and I have to head back to my mom's house. I've got something planned for my wife, and we have to get going." Lucas walked into the living room, followed shortly after by Nathan. Peyton looked a little confused.

      "What plans?" she asked coming over to stand next to her husband.

      "You just have to wait and see." Lucas said wrapping his arm around Peyton's shoulders.

      "Ok well I'll call you later Hales, and we'll all have to go to dinner or something." Peyton walked over to hug her friend, and then gave Nathan a quick hug. Lucas followed her and shook his brothers hand before Nathan pulled him in for one of their familiar brotherly hugs. He kissed Hayley a quick goodbye, and then followed his wife out the door.

      "So what's the big plan Nathan?" Hayley asked.

      "I'll tell you later" Nathan grinned sitting down on the couch next to his girlfriend.

That's it for Chapter 5. Hope you all enjoyed it. Please read and review, I love to hear what you guys think. Next chapter is coming along a lot faster.


	6. Decisions over Dinner

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I  don't own the characters on One Tree Hill, so don't sue me.

Thanks to all my readers and especially those of you who review each chapter. Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Story updates are coming sooner; I think the writers block has finally passed, cross your fingers. Little bit of sexual content in this chapter, but it's nothing that warrants an R-rating.

Chapter 6:

            They'd gotten to Nathan's beach house just as a heavy rain began to pelt the earth around them. Running for the dry protection of the covered patio, Lucas draped his coat over Peyton and hurried her under.

            "So much for spending the night on the beach." Lucas laughed, running his hands through his wet hair.

            "We've still got tomorrow." She looked over at him. Wet strands of her curly blond hair clung to the side of her face. He reached over at tucked the pieces behind her ear.

            "Let's get you out of these wet clothes." Peyton nodded.

Unlocking the front door, Lucas flipped on the light to the living room. They made their way back towards one of the guest rooms. Dropping their small suitcase on the floor, Lucas sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his wife over towards him.

            There were no words spoken between the two. Their only exchange was a sly smile Lucas threw Peyton's way, before grabbing the ends of her still-wet and pulling them over her head. He tossed the shirt onto the floor and let his hands trail down her slender stomach. Bringing his lips to the area just above her navel, he kissed it lightly and smiled to himself.

            "You're starting to show a little." He looked up to meet Peyton's eyes.

            "Oh thank you for noticing that I'm getting bigger." She looked away from him in mock hurt.

            "I think you look beautiful." He smiled, and she responded to his compliment by kissing him passionately and breaking from his lips only long enough to pull his shirt over. She pushed him backwards onto the bed and went back to kissing him. Things had started to go exactly where Peyton had wanted, when Lucas suddenly pulled away.

            "What's the matter?" She asked him breathlessly.

            "Can we do this?" he asked uncertainly.

            "Well we have done it before." Peyton laughed.

            "No I mean, is it ok to do this with the baby. I just feel a little weird knowing that our kid is in there," he poked gently at her bare stomach, "While we, you know."

            "You're cute." She said, leaning down and giving him a quick kiss. "Trust me Lucas, I asked the doctor. You won't hurt the baby in any way." Lucas seemed relieved at her answer.

            "Well in that case," he pulled her lips back down onto his. And they went right back to where Peyton had wanted.

            "I'm sorry that I've been pushing you away these last few weeks." Lucas rolled onto his side, and faced his wife.

            "I know you're going through a rough time right now." She ran her fingers lightly up his bare arm. 

            "But that's not an excuse. You're my wife and the most important thing in my life right now. You don't deserve to be shutout of my life because I'm feeling down one week." He leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm sorry."

            "It's ok, just don't do it again." He nodded in agreement. "We're starting this whole new chapter of our lives together. We're going to have this beautiful baby in nine months, and I just need to know that you're going to be able to talk to me about how you're feeling through this."

            "I know, no more bottling up my feelings." He placed his hand over his bare chest "Boy scouts honor."

            "Good to know" she smiled "Ok let me tell you how I'm feeling."

            "Tell me." He rolled over onto his stomach and draped his arm across Peyton's waist.

            "I'm feeling really, hungry." Peyton laughed, "We're going to have to get out of this bed sometime, and a girl needs to eat. Especially one who has to eat for two."

            "I like laying in bed with you all day." He pulled her closer and buried his face in her neck, groaning as she tried to squirm away.

            "Come on Luke, it's not like we won't be coming back to this very spot tonight. And believe me I'll make it worth your while" She gave him a wink as he pulled his head up to look at her.

            "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go eat!" He pulled himself out of bed and searched for his missing boxer shorts. Finding them in a crumpled heap by the bed, he pulled them on, followed by his beloved pair of Tar Heel basketball shorts. Peyton followed him and pulled on his long-sleeve shirt from earlier in the day. She pulled her hands inside the sleeves, and followed he husband to the kitchen.

            "How's dinner Peyt?" Lucas asked looking up from his plate of pasta.

            "It's very good, thank you" she stabbed at the few noodles he had left with her fork, and then looked up at him "What are you thinking about?"

            "I was thinking that if you wanted, we could move back to Tree Hill" Luke raised his eyebrows in anticipation of her response.

            "Are you serious?" she asked

            "Yeah, I mean don't get me wrong I love Chapel Hill. I proposed to you in Chapel Hill, we got married there. But Tree Hill still feels like home to me." He was throwing this out all of a sudden, and didn't want his wife to feel overwhelmed.

            "I think it's a great idea Lucas." She flashed him a reassuring smile.

            "Really? I wasn't sure you'd want to, I know how hard it was for you to live her after your dad died." He pulled her over to his lap.

            "It was hard to be here without him, but things change over time. I have _you_ now, and you are my family. You and your mom, Keith, Haley, and Nathan, you guys are my family, and I want to be closer to them. I've been missing this place like crazy recently; I love it here.  Plus I want to raise our kids here, where we grew up." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and touched her forehead to his.

            "Let's move back." He said softly.

            "Really Luke." 

            "Yeah, I can get a transfer here. I'm a sportswriter and I can do that anywhere. And you can do your painting anywhere. I want to move back." He smiled and she kissed him. "We're moving back to Tree Hill"

There you have it, Luke and Peyton are coming back to Tree Hill for good. I know some of you readers wanted them to come back, and I've been planning on it for awhile. So it's official!

_Coming Up: Luke makes a decision about his father. And he will eventually face Dan. That's gonna be in the next two chapters. So be ready!_

_Thanks for reading and I always love reviews!!_


	7. Facing the past to protect the future

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the One Tree Hill characters.

I have to apologize to all my incredible readers; I hadn't planned on putting off this chapter for so long. The next chapter is already mapped out and will be coming shortly after this one.

Chapter 7

            Lucas had learned, over the years, that sleeping in bed next to Peyton was a dangerous sport. She was usually all over the place, arms stretched out in every which way, her legs tangled up in his. She usually stole most of the covers from him and would wrap herself up in the warm pile.

This night it wasn't his wife's restlessness that was kept him from succumbing to the temptation of sleep. A huge decision was weighing on his mind and he couldn't bring himself to sleep, so he spent his night watching Peyton thrash around in her sleep wondering what she was dreaming about. 

He was startled when she rolled over to face him and sleepily opened her eyes to meet his.

"What are you doing awake?" she asked him while trying to rub some of the sleep from her eyes.

"I was just thinking about some stuff." He said shrugging his shoulders.

"What kind of stuff?" she yawned softly.

"I was actually thinking that I wanted to see Dan at the hospital." He was quiet, waiting for her reaction. There was a long pause from her; she was taken aback by his decision.

"Are you sure Luke?"

"Yeah, I think so at least." He said, rubbing a hand across her arm.

"What made you change you mind?"

"It was partly thanks to Nathan. When we talked about Dan the other day, he told me some things. Things that I hadn't cared to acknowledge at that time. He said that Dan wants to see me; he wants to apologize for what he did to my mom and I. He wants to make amends before he dies. And something made me realize that I have to let that stuff go." He reached over and pulled some of her blanket over towards him.

"And what was that something?" she asked.

"Our baby" he said simply. "I've been carrying this hatred for Dan Scott around all of my life. For 25 years I've hated that man, and wanted nothing more that to see him hurt for what he did to us. But now, knowing that I'm going to be a father myself had made me realize that I have to let this go. If I don't resolve this now, I'll have to carry this around with me forever and I'm not willing to do that." He placed his hand over the familiar bump on her stomach.

"I'm proud of you Lucas," she whispered "And I'll be there to support you in whatever way I can, you know that."

"I don't know what I would do without you" He leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

"Probably get a peaceful nights sleep, since there'd be no one to accidentally kick you in the stomach" she laughed, and he absentmindedly touched at a spot under his eye. Peyton groaned.

"What?" he asked, trying to hold back a laugh.

"You touched that spot under your eye to make me feel guilty!" she pushed him playfully.

"I did not."

"Yeah you did, you always touch that little spot under your eye and try and make me feel even more guilty about giving you that black eye last year." Thrashing around in her sleep one night she had hit Lucas in the eye with her elbow while he slept beside her. He had to walk around with huge black eye for nearly two weeks before it finally faded away. She felt horrible about it, and whenever he wanted to get a little sympathy from her he would touch the spot under his eye, it worked like a charm every time.

"I'm just kidding" He smiled, but his face turned serious. "I'm going to need you there with me, I can't do this on my own"

"I'll be right by your side the entire time." She curled up next to his side and drifted to sleep, his mind now at ease he let himself follow her into some much-needed rest.

He woke up the next morning to an empty bed. Looking over at the small alarm clock on the nightstand, he was surprised to see the neon green numbers reading 12:30. That was the most sleep he had gotten in a few weeks. Sitting up in bed, he took time to rub the sleep from his eyes, and allowed them to adjust to the bright afternoon sun coming through the open windows. He made his way into the guest bathroom tat was connected to their room and turned on the faucet. A splash of cold water to his face was enough to get him going, after a quick brush of his teeth he was wide awake. On his way out of the bathroom he noticed a yellow post-it note stuck to the wall just above the light switch. It was scribbled on in Peyton's small choppy handwriting…

            'I though you could use the extra sleep,

            I'm on the beach when you wake up

                                                -Peyton'

He grabbed a pair of his tear-away pants and a clean t-shirt and headed out to find Peyton.

Coming to sit next to her in the cool sand, Lucas wrapped his arm around Peyton's shoulder. She looked over and smiled at him.

"What time were you up this morning?" He asked, slipping his bare feet under the sand.

"Well remember when I told you that I hadn't had any morning sickness at all?" Lucas nodded, "Well I think I got my payback. It hit me at about 7:30 this morning, and I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked. "I should have been up to help you"

"It wasn't that bad, I just need to not look at any food for awhile." Peyton laughed. They were quiet, watching the ocean waves washing up onto the beach in front of them.

"I think it's going to be a girl." He said suddenly, reaching over and touching his finger to her stomach.

"And what makes you think that?" she asked.

"I don't know, it's just a feeling I get" he smiled. "I mean I'll love this baby whether it's a boy or a girl, but I think it's a girl."

"Well if it's a girl, you know she's going to be a total tomboy. With her dad the former star basketball player, and her mom being a reformed tomboy from her younger years." Peyton said looping her arm through his.

"If we have a daughter I want her to be girly, and wear dresses with little flowers on them. But I still want her to play sports with her daddy, and be talented like her mommy." He became lost in his idea of what his daughter might be like.

"You're cute you know that?" She smirked. The wind began to pick up around them, and Peyton felt a chill creep up her arms. Lucas hopped up from his spot on the sand.

"I'm gonna grab you a sweatshirt, don't move a muscle!" He pointed over at her, and smiled.

Stepping inside the sliding glass door he noticed the red light blinking on the answering machine indicating a new message. He pressed the play button and was surprised to hear Nathan's voice coming from the message.

'Lucas? It's Nathan, uh I don't know what you decided about Dan but I'm here at the hospital and he's taken a turn for the worse. The doctors say he only has a few days left at the most. So if you decided to see him you should come now. It's your choice, but he's asking about you. He's at Tree Hill General room 447.'

The message ended and Lucas stood silently in the living room. He knew what he had to do. His time had come to face his past and the father who had abandoned him. He only hoped he was ready for what was to come.

"Lucas, is everything ok?" Peyton asked coming through the back door.

"We have to go." He said softly. Peyton knew immediately why they were leaving. She could see it in his eyes, and she only hoped he was ready for what was to come.

_Please read and review. Next chapter will be Lucas and Dan finally._


	8. Waiting rooms and old magazines

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the One Tree Hill characters.

Authors Note: Sorry about the delay between chapters. Finals and school are finally over for the summer, so now I can concentrate on writing. Thanks to all the readers who have stuck it out with me.

Chapter 8:

After flipping through the same Sports Illustrated for the fourth time Lucas Scott was beginning to let his nerves get to him. He'd been stuck in the undersized hospital waiting room with Peyton for nearly an hour. He tossed the tattered magazine onto the cheaply made coffee table and watched as it slid across the top and fell to the other side.

"Dammit" he muttered under his breath as he stood up to grab the magazine and then angrily tossed it onto the table.

"Why don't you get a cup of coffee or something, you need to get out of this waiting room for a little while." Peyton said tossing her own magazine near his.

"No, I'm ok. Nathan should be coming out in a few minutes, and I just want to get this done now." Nathan had met them earlier at the hospital and agreed to go in and talk to Dan, and let him know that Lucas was there to talk to him.

To Lucas it seemed they had been waiting there forever, the more minutes that passed the more anxious he was becoming. He paced the room for what seemed like the hundredth time, before Peyton urged him to sit down. He finally sat down next to her and grabbed her hand in his.

"Thank you for being here Peyt, you know I couldn't have done this without you."

"I'll always be here for you." She said leaning over towards him to lay her head on his strong shoulder.

It was another fifteen minutes before Nathan would finally emerge from their father's hospital room. The pair stood to meet him, but Nathan didn't have much to say. The younger Scott's face showed serious signs of stress and fatigue, and Lucas couldn't help but feel bad for him.

Over the years Nathan became the only person who was willing to visit with his father, even if it was only to see how the old man was doing every so often. The new of Dan's disease hit him harder than he expected, like Lucas he grew up hating his father only for much different reasons. Nathan spent his younger years growing up under the iron fist of Dan Scott, and he hated who he had become under his father's influence. But seeing Dan slowly dying changed the way Nathan felt, and he was glad that Lucas was willing to forgive his father as well.

"He's waiting for you, say whatever you need to say. The doctor's say he doesn't have much more time." Lucas acknowledged what his younger brother had said, and gave his wife and brother a quick hug before walking into the hospital room and saying goodbye to the man who had never been his father.

Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted have Dan and Lucas' conversation be a complete chapter by itself. I plan on having that chapter up by the end of this weekend. Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	9. Mending that old broken fence

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

Chapter 9

            Dan Scott had spent much of his life intimidating people, using his powerful stature to manipulate those around him. Lucas had grown up scared of his power and control, and his younger brother Nathan had grown up experiencing that power first-hand. Things were different now; Lucas was different.

            Dan wasn't the same man either. His broad powerful shoulders and thick mop of brown hair were replaced by a weak thin frame of a body and a scalp left bald by months of intense chemotherapy. He was in obvious and constant pain, and Lucas was completely taken aback when he walked into the hospital room and saw the fragile man who lay before him.

            The echo of the large hospital room door slamming shut brought Dan's attention to the door, and the figure looming in the doorway. An unsure pause passed between to the men as Lucas stepped entirely into the room. He was careful to maintain a certain distance between them, not wanting to get to close in any way to his father.

            "Hello Lucas." The older Scott's voice was dry and raspy. Lucas couldn't help but look over all of the tubes and machines that were helping to keep Dan alive. It was a strange and sudden realization for Lucas, seeing this man in front of him barely hanging on. A man he never wanted to care about was now suddenly making him think twice about his decision. His thoughts were interrupted when Dan motioned for him to take the chair near his bed. Lucas could do nothing but oblige, as he moved towards the bed and sat in the uncomfortable steel chair.

            "Nathan told me why you decided to coma and see me. You want to put this all behind you, and I accept that." Dan said as he winced in pain while coughs shook his body.

            "I never asked you to accept anything Dan, I came here for myself." Lucas spat out bitterly.

            "I understand, I know you probably have a hundred things to say to me. I'll just let you talk." Dan said.

             "I don't want to sit here and relive my entire painful childhood with you because it was never that. I had a great mom growing up and she was there for me always, she made sure I had everything I needed. She was my mom and my dad and I loved her for that, but I never let her know that when I was little I used to wish you'd come home to us and want to be a family. I used to see you around the basketball courts with Nathan and I'd come home and ask my mom why you picked Nathan instead of me to be your kid. After my twelfth birthday I realized you'd never be coming to pick me up to go play ball, you were never going to be my dad. But as much as I hated to admit it, I needed a father." It was hard for him to say that, especially to Dan. There was a part of him that didn't want to give Dan the satisfaction of knowing that Lucas had missed having a relationship with him, but he was here to put the past behind him and the only way to do that was to be honest.

            "I needed you to sit in the stands at my basketball games, I needed you to show me how to fix my tie on prom night, and play catch in the afternoons. I wanted you to be proud of me. But I don't need any of that anymore, I've grown up and moved past that all. I'm done with this whole 'holding on to old history'. I want to be more than all of this, I want to let go."  He couldn't be angry anymore, he was ready to be done with it all.

            " Lucas I wish I had more time to tell you how sorry I am. You never deserved to be treated as bad as I treated you. And to be entirely honest you were probably lucky you never had me as a father. Those times you saw me at the park with Nathan? I never took him there to spend the afternoon with him, he was there because I forced him to be. I made him practice for hours, he'd be out there until the lights turned off. And I'd be there on the sideline yelling at him to straighten out his elbow on his follow through. I was a bastard Lucas, I didn't deserve to be anyone's father. But you were just a boy and I was never there for you."

            "I'm not a boy anymore, I'm a man who realizes that these things from his past are holding him back. And that's why I came, to resolve these issues. I put my feelings out there and you accepted what I had to say. That means a lot to me. You're not the same man you were years ago, I can see that and I respect that. I can forgive you for not being there, I want to forgive you." Lucas shifted his eyes from their position on the floor up to meet his fathers. The old man's eyes were soft and understanding. A simple nod was all the man could muster as his emotions had begun to overwhelm him.

            "I don't know if I deserve your forgiveness Lucas. But I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I just don't understand what changed your mind about coming." Dan said

            "What do you mean?" Lucas asked.

            "I talked to Nathan a few days ago. He told me you were in town. I asked him about you but he said you couldn't bring yourself to come down here. So what changed your mind?" Dan wondered.

            "I found a few days ago that I'm going to become a father in seven months. Learning that just gave me this entirely new outlook on my life. I realized that in order to devote myself totally to my wife and son I had to get rid of this anger I've been carrying around for years. So I guess you have your unborn grandchild to thank for this semi-reunion." He glanced over at Dan wanting to gauge his reaction.

            "My grandchild?" Dan said softly with the slightest hint of awe in his voice. His face fell quickly with the realization he would never see his first grandchild come into the world. He'd miss the same things he had with Nathan and Lucas. "I just wish I could be here to see him or her. I don't want to miss another Scott growing up."

            "I'm sorry Dan, I didn't mean…" Lucas started, but Dan was quick to cut him off.

            "Don't be sorry Lucas. Can you just promise me you won't tell my grandkids what an arrogant bastard I was to their father? I don't want them knowing about who I really was." There was a noticeable sadness to his voice that Lucas had not yet heard. The man who lay before him was completely unlike the man he knew when he was younger.

            "You have my word Dan." Lucas promised.

            "Thank you."

            They shared an awkward silence for a few seconds before Dan suddenly thought of something to say. "Would it be alright if I asked you some stuff about your life? I don't know much about what you did after high school."

            "Yeah ok, what do you want to know?" Lucas asked.

            "Nathan's told me a few things, but I don't really know much more than you graduating from the University of North Carolina and moving away from Tree Hill."

            "Well after high school I decided to follow this girl I was crazy in love with to UNC. I studied journalism and graduated with my degree. Peyton never did want to move back to Tree Hill and I realized that I just wanted to be with her. So we found a little house in Chapel Hill and started our own life there. I finally convinced her to marry me and we've been married for almost five years now. And that's the story so far." He shrugged his shoulders.

            "You and Peyton are married huh? I always thought her and Nathan made an odd couple. I'm glad she has someone who really loves her. She's a good girl"

            "I love her more than I've ever loved anyone." Lucas nodded.

            "So what did you do with this degree in journalism?" Dan asked.

            "I'm a writer for the Carolina Chronicle, I cover sports mainly college basketball. I'm trying to work my way up to Sports Editor, maybe in a few years. But I'm happy right now."

            "You grew up into quite a man Lucas. Your mother should be very proud of the way she raised you." Dan said quietly.

           Lucas had found himself growing more comfortable with Dan, the awkward pauses were less frequent and Dan had even managed to make Lucas laugh a time or two. Their attempted reunion was soon cut short by the static filled announcement that poured through the hospital speakers announcing the end of hospital visiting hours.

           The young man stood from his chair, slowly allowing his cramped legs to stretch. "I should let you get your rest."

           "I wish I had more time Lucas, more time to get to know my two boys and be a part of their lives." His unsteady voice was barely audible, above the humming of his machines.

           "I know Dan." Lucas looked down as Dan grabbed his son's hand.

           "I know how hard it was to come here and to face me. But thank you for coming, I know you came here for yourself, but it really does mean a great deal to me. You're an unbelievable man, and any father would be proud to call you his son. I just wish I had said that so many years ago.  I'm proud of you Lucas.

           Something in that brief moment propelled the young man to take a step he never thought he could. He leaned in towards his father and wrapped his arms around Dan's weak shoulders. And for a short-lived minute the two former strangers shared an unfamiliar embrace. As they broke Lucas pulled a piece of small black fabric from the pocket of his jeans. He held the material in his hands before placing the tattered square of black into the large hands of his father.

           It took him a few minutes for the items familiarity to register. He'd seen the same piece of cloth fall to the gymnasium floor years ago.

           "It's the nameplate from my old Ravens jersey. I took it off then because I hated the name, I was ashamed of being a Scott. That night I pulled it off my jersey I went back to the gym and found it under the bleachers. I kept it all this time to remind myself that I was supposed to hate you. I'm letting all that go now, and I want you to have It." He said as he curled Dan's fingers carefully around the cloth.

           "Thank you." Dan whispered. Lucas merely nodded.

"I should get going." Lucas said.

           "Goodbye Lucas." Dan said quietly.

           "Bye Dan." He said as he turned and walked slowly out of the hospital room, the heavy door swung shut behind him.

           There had been a million though racing through his mind before talking to Dan, but now he was overwhelmed by an incredible sense of calm. He rested the back of his head against the wooden door and looked over into the waiting room to see Peyton and Nathan resting uncomfortably in the stiff plastic chairs. She saw her husband standing outside the door and crossed the room to be with him. She wrapped her arms around him tight.

           "Are you alright?" Peyton whispered.

           "Yeah, better now that you're with me. It all turned out really well."

           "I'm glad." She said as she pulled him a little closer. "Are you ready to go home?"

           "Yeah just let me say goodbye to Nathan." The two brothers shared a hug, and Lucas thanked Nathan for giving him a gentle push in Dan's direction.

           "I'll see you soon Nathan." He said as he walked away with Peyton's hand inside of his.

           "I'll talk to you guys later." Nathan yelled after them, Lucas turned to wave over his shoulder at his little brother.

           Alone in his hospital room, Dan ran his fingers over the large white letters of his last name…  S-C-O-T-T. It was just a piece of black cloth to the casual observer, but to Dan it was some kind of a message. The one thing he'd wanted before he died was to have the chance to connect with his oldest son. He had done that and now realized there was nothing to stop him from finally giving in. He was ready to die. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. And he couldn't stop himself from burying his face into his hands, allowing his body to become wracked with heavy sobs. It was the only time in his life Dan Scott had ever cried, it would also be his last.

Authors note: This was definitely the hardest chapter I've written so far. I wanted to capture the feelings between the two men without really knowing what a meeting between the two of them would be like. I hope I did this chapter justice. I decided early on that their reconciliation wouldn't be entirely bitter. I wanted Lucas to have closure, that was the most important aspect to the story to me.

           This is going to be the last official chapter for TMWWHF. I'm going to wrap it up with an epilogue. And I just want to sincerely thank all of you who took the time to read this story. All of the reviews inspired me to keep writing. I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I loved to write it.

           My plan is to write a sequel right away. It will basically follow Lucas and Peyton and their journey into parenthood. I hope all of my great readers will follow me into this new story.

           So let me know what you guys thought of this last official chapter, I need some reviews!

           Thank you again!


	10. Epilogue Forgive, forget and then move ...

The Man Who Was His Father

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters

_Epilogue_

Not many people had turned out for the funeral of Dan Scott. There had been too many people left damaged in his disastrous wake, too many people he'd stepped on to get where and what he wanted in life, too many people who had found no reason to attend his funeral for any reason other than cursing him to the darkest corner of hell. Some can forgive and forget, others just tend to forget.

But it was a much different man being buried that cold, autumn morning. A handful of people, his family of sorts, had come to say goodbye. Nathan and Haley, Lucas and Peyton, and Keith, Karen and Deb were the only people to have shown up. He'd caused so much pain to the people now standing around his gravesite, yet they'd all found a small place in their hearts to forgive him, even in death.

The small assembly of mourners gathered around his simple wooden casket and bowed their heads in silent prayer as the priest gave his final blessing. When the time had come for his casket to be lowered the rest of the group pulled back allowing the two Scott brothers time for a final goodbye with their father. They stood together in silence watching the coffin slide slowly into the cold and unforgiving earth that is every man's final resting place.

Nathan was the first brother to break the silence. "It's weird isn't it? All those times when I was younger imagining how I'd feel when my father died. I never thought that I'd feel this… sad. And the strangest part of this whole thing is that I'm standing over my father's grave not mourning the dad I knew for my 25 years, I'm mourning the man I knew for that brief time in some cramped hospital room. I really miss that man." Nathan looked to his older brother for some sort of encouragement; Lucas could only pull his brother in a brief but understanding embrace. "I couldn't do this without you Luke."

"Same here." He said as his brother pulled away.

"Listen I've gotta get out of here, I'll see you later at your mom's café. I think we're all still all meeting there afterwards for coffee or something." Nathan stopped to take one final look down at his fathers casket before turning and walking away slowly and trying to find where Haley had gone.

Lucas took a few minutes by himself to say goodbye. He peered down into the dark space beneath him. Kneeling down quickly he scooped a small fistful of dirt into palm before standing up tall. He felt the wind pick up around him, blowing his unbuttoned suit jacket open. The crisp black coat rustled softly in the breeze as Lucas slowly opened his hand, allowing the small pieces of earth to fall through his fingers down onto his father's wooden casket.

"Bye Dad."

It was a simple goodbye and that's all that Lucas had needed. He turned and walked away, grabbing Peyton's hand and kissing her softly on the forehead. She asked him if he was ok and he assured her she was. Grabbing her hand in his, they walked away together, silently. There was no looking back anymore for Lucas, he wouldn't let himself stay stuck in the past. There was too much in his life to look forward to now.

****

**Authors Note:** Thank you to all my incredible readers, especially all of you who have been there from the very beginning. Your reviews meant so much to me. I hope you guys enjoy the sequel.


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